I've been busy in the garden all weekend, getting ready for the delivery of seven rose plants! Achy but it will be so worth it come spring...which reminds me, I have more spring bulbs to plant in the next few days.

To all those affected by the coming East Coast storm, stay safe and well...

Monday, October 15, 2012

There was a definite French theme to this last weekend, spanning Saturday's visit to our favorite bistro here in Santa Rosa to a visit on Sunday to a lively French Antiques fair/Flea Market in San Rafael. Some images from a yummy dinner at Rendezvous Bistro (an establishment not making its first appearance on this blog!): barbecued oysters served with a lovely garlic butter parsley sauce:

Country pâté and baguette with grainy mustard and cornichon pickles:

Grilled salmon served with delicious French Puy lentils (must buy some for fall cooking at home!) fennel and artichokes

Jamison's hearty and tasty burger with roasted tomato, served with amazing truffled french fries and a truffled aioli:

This cozy and consistently delicious restaurant is about 15 minutes from our house, a nice walk that takes in a range of architectural styles, gardens....and cats!

Sunday's French themed market in San Rafael offered a transporting mix of objects, many French, others American...a feast of old things in colorful, nostalgic, bric a brac'd collision

How beautiful are these old French seed packets?

Love these warm colors and curvy pear shapes

Refined confections!

The farmer's market was a adjacent to the antiques fair...we admired this amazingly aromatic mint

My treasures from the antiques fair: a Victorian creamer set with one tiny tea cup, all embossed with Japan-inspired flower and bamboo motifs:

....and a French apple picking basket that seems to have jumped from an Impressionist painting

Today's bento featured salmon and lentils from the bistro, fennel blossoms, a tiny lemon from one of our trees, garden-grown arugula and baby tomatoes from the farmer's market:

Thursday, October 4, 2012

A quick post for a busy late week evening, featuring a delightful Korean-style rice dish made by Jamison using brown rice, kimchee, garlic, onion and shredded roast chicken. Also in the bento are a few large leaves of arugula (which is perking along nicely in the newly enriched garden bed!) to use as wraps. Baby green grapes and a small tomato round things out.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

We are currently amid an intense Indian Summer heat wave here in Santa Rosa, with temperatures hitting 100 and even beyond. To cool off, a bento with a light chicken salad (scallions, minced ginger, mirin, a touch of mayo), quick-pickled cuke slices (tossed with rice vinegar) and slices of heirloom Charentais melon with bright sprigs of garden mint.